Othello wraps & a Red Sox'tober

Othello is officially in the rearview mirror and was quite a success as we sold out every show our final weekend. It was a fun experience, but taught us that matinee's aren't always a good idea. Plus our venue was double-booked with a Scott County Wrestling event on Friday and a potentially disasterous situation was, due do some last minute conversations with the venue, avoided as the wrestlers were moved to a later date. We received really strong reviews (again) and are looking forward to bringing The Taming Of The Shrew to the stage in March of 2008.

Another positive is that the marketing pieces I did for the show were really well received and I may end up with a few freelance gigs out of it, so keep those fingers crossed.

I did see a few more movies...

The Brad Pitt/Casey Affleck western, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, was a pleasant surprise as I haven't seen a solid western film since Tombstone. While it was a bit drawn out at times as we are firmly following Robert Ford's side of things, the suspense and great acting tends to even out the slow pacing. Knowing little about James' story (or Ford's, for that matter), I was captivated to find out what really happened as well as the fallout for Ford's actions on that fateful afternoon. Was James really the folk hero history has made him out to be? The film does take a look at that and does show that Ford was, technically, the 'good' guy in this scenario as he was taking out a wanted criminal, but the way in which he did it is what makes this story legend. I would definitely say rent this one as it needs to be viewed while you can take a break, but is definitely worth a viewing nonetheless.

The other film I caught was Shoot Em Up, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti returning to the bad guy role he does so well (see Howard Stern's Private Parts). You pretty much have to check your reality at the door the minute the opening credits begin as this film gives Speed a run for its money in terms of action per minute. It's an action film that's self-aware that it's an action film and proudly takes liberties and makes fun of that fact. Clive Owen's delivery is spot-on...and, dare I say, has a twinge of, "I could've been James Bond, y'know..." feel to it (taking nothing away from Daniel Craig's amazing take on that franchise despite Owen being the fan favorite for the coveted role). I can honestly say, I had a lot of fun watching the insanity that is this film as did the group I saw it with. As I said, you need to be in a loose, care-free mood before viewing it - or in that angry, "I want to hurt something," mode. Plus, you'll never look at carrots the same again.

Let's see......what else?

Oh yeah....

THE RED SOX ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES! What an amazing ALCS for them to come back against the Cleveland Indians in similar fashion to the way the did against the rival New York Yankees in 2004. While admittedly not following the Sox as well as I could've been during the 2005 & 06 seasons, this year I was able to visit Boston and tour the legendary Fenway Park and have been following them like a hawk ever since. I remember being in a friend's dorm room watching back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game against the Yanks and knew that this season would be special. Granted, we need four more wins for another title and that the Colorado Rockies are a formidable opponent (winning 21 of 22 games), but I feel we've got the momentum and hope for another well-earned championship will make it's way to Beantown that doesn't have the words "Patriots" attached to it.

My best bud Casey (Jeff Award nominee from a previous post) is now an engaged man now as he proposed to his girlfriend at Disney in Orlando, FL, this past week. I've been informed that I'll be splitting best man duties with another friend of mine and we couldn't be happier for them.

And finally, since it is Halloween, I thought I'd close out by mentioning a fun thing that our local theater is doing. They're showing old horror movies as double features for only $5 - and some of the ones they've got slated are classics....in that Boris Karloff kind of way. Many of them have been spoofed by Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it was just as fun to see them in their original formats and the joking and laughter was made by pretty much everyone in attendance. It's a great idea and I can't believe that more theaters in the area aren't doing this as well.

Last week, a group of us got to see The Terror, starring Karloff and a very young Jack Nicholson, and the second feature was the original House On Haunted Hill (not the crappy Taye Diggs remake). They were both very campy, but great reminders as to why I enjoy this time of year so much. Halloween is that one time of year where it's acceptable to dress up as something you are not or something that you've always wanted to be, but obviously can't - and yet our imaginations all let go for one night and allow us to just be whatever we want, and I think that's really cool (and maybe why I enjoy theatre as well...?).

Plus, women just look all hot and stuff dressed up in costumes.

That's about all that's exciting from this neck of the woods. What's up with you?